One Thousand and One Nights

How could a capital city come to life without any restaurant, bar, nightclub or even without any concert hall? And how to write a blog highlighting those who contribute to the great dynamic of Oslo and Paris without mentioning the magicians hidden behind the scenes of the nightlife. So, we went to meet the incontrovertible Dominic Gorham. Dominic belongs to that kind of people who inspire us all, those who have had a thousand lives while you barely have had the time to go through half of yours. Despite a very busy schedule, his Blackberry fastened in his hand, he was kind enough to grant us an interview over a delicious breakfast, in his PR head quarter at the famous “Grand Café” in the Grand Hotel of Oslo.

Parisoslo.com: What exactly is your job?Dominic Gorham: I am a kind of merchant of illusion. I learned from Nicolas&Charlotte, the owners of the restaurant “La Mousson”, one of my first employers, that one should serve a bottle of beer to a client the same way that one serves a bottle of champagne. In a way, my business is about giving people a moment of escape from the reality of their daily life, even though it only lasts for a few hours. To be a little more concrete, I spend 80% of my time managing my production company specialized in organizing music festivals in Northern Europe, and 20% as Head of Marketing & Public Relations for the Grand Hotel. This last function is mainly about taking personally good care of VIP clients during their stay in Oslo

PO: What is your background?D.G: I was born in London in the 60s, of an English mother and an African father. At the age of 6 months, my parents left me. I have never known them, but I was lucky enough to be adopted by a great family, fairly wealthy and very francophile. From that moment, we can say that my life has followed the motto “always in the right place at the right time”. After studying in a typical conservative London high school, I went to Westminster Kingsway College to study music and catering.
Alongside my studies, I started a band in which I was both a vocalist, a drummer and a trumpet player. We did pretty well until a clash within the group splitted it. At the age of 18, my father thought it was a good idea to send me to my spiritual grandmother, granny Quattreboeufs, Place d’Italie in Paris, in order to learn French. After a few weeks, I got my first job as a bartender at the restaurant “le Paradis du fruit” in the district of Opera where I had the great chance to meet Rudolf Nureyev and many other personalities from the world of ballet dancing, including my first French girlfriend, Claudine. From that point, everything has been a series of fortunate events, exciting projects, unforgettable parties and coming across amazing people! From the launch of the very exclusive restaurant “la Mousson” in la Bastille, where I met my ex-wife, a Norwegian supermodel and mother of my son Dylan, through the opening of the “China Club”, to the management of the mythical club “la Casba” (the first theme bar in Paris), and finally running the “What’s Up” and its unforgettable evenings with Ben Harper, Bob Sinclar, Dimitri and many other rising stars.
I was not yet 30 years old that I was already exhausted and I decided to join my wife and my son in Norway. With my experience from Paris, I managed the launch of several true institutions of Oslo nightlife, such as “Boca Bar”, “Aqua”, “Buddha Bar”, “Cosmopolitan” or “SW20″.

PO: What is your work motto?D.G: I believe in hard work and that you only get out of something what you put into it.

PO: What is your best working memory? D.G: Hmm…not an easy question. In fact, there are several. I’d say, meeting Lenny Kravitz at “la Casba” when he arrived with a dozen of beautiful girls, but he was extremely low key and very nice. The three days I spent with David Bowie during one of his concerts in Oslo, and finally my dinner with Jay-Z at the restaurant “Nodee” where we drank extraordinary wines. Jay-Z is absolutely charming and a true gentleman.

PO: If you could only bring 3 songs on a desert island, what would they be?D.G: “Spanish Joint” from D’Angelo, “Sign ‘O’ the Times” from Prince and “Satellite of Love” from Lou Reed.

PO: What is your favorite place in Oslo and in Paris? D.G: In Paris, Le Loir dans la Théière in the Marais district. In Oslo, I would say Frogner Park for weed-end walks with my Swedish girlfriend Lina and our two and half years old son Marley.